The present disclosure relates generally to dentistry, and more particularly to systems and methods for analyzing dynamic dental occlusions for use in restorative dentistry, such as in the production of accurate replicas of a patient's teeth, for example, dental implants, dentures, and/or other appliances.
In order for a patient's teeth to function properly, the shape and position of every tooth must be in harmony with the opposing teeth. The maxillary teeth must be in harmony with the mandibular teeth so that the teeth can dynamically come together or occlude harmoniously. If upper and lower teeth do not fit properly when they move together, then abnormal, traumatic impacts of the teeth can occur. These traumatic impacts of teeth can cause pain and inflammation of the periodontal ligaments and bones which hold and support the teeth.
All mandibular and maxillary teeth have proprioceptive nerves which constantly send input to the brain. The proprioceptive nerves notify the brain of the functional contacts of the maxillary and mandibular teeth. If a malocclusion is present, some teeth will contact prematurely which places abnormal forces on these teeth. The affected teeth may send proprioceptive notices to the brain causing the brain to alter the muscles of mastication. These muscles react by altering jaw motion in an attempt to accommodate the offending occlusal contacts.
Altered muscle function can cause altered, abnormal forces on the fragile fibro-cartilage lining the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) and the fibro-cartilaginous discs. The potential result of these abnormal forces on the cartilage causes abnormal loading forces which cause excessive wear and potential degeneration. Human fibro-cartilage has no blood supply and thus no ability to heal. This cartilage either functions normally or abnormally wears and degenerates. Human fibro-cartilage also has no nerve supply and thus can not notify the brain that abnormal loading forces are causing this permanent damage. However, altered muscle function does cause abnormal loading forces on the TMJ capsule which does have nervous innervations. When TMJ capsular innovation is noted, additional altered muscular function can occur, potentially causing additional abnormal dental contacts and a vicious cycle of TMJ and dental degeneration and pathology results.
Typically, if a patient needs a dental appliance, such as a bridge or series of crowns, the teeth are prepared, and dental impressions (such as, for example, alginate or Poly Vinyl Siloxane (PVS) impressions) or digital laser scans are made. The impression and/or scan is sent to the dentist's laboratory where a CAD/CAM machine creates the dental appliance. However, the impression and/or scan does not create the proper occlusion or biting surface required for each patient. The impression and/or digital scan only creates a generic appliance which must be ground into occluding with the opposing teeth. This “tap, tap, grind” process can take hours. Moreover, the appliance fabricated in this manner does not consider dynamic occlusions. The impression and/or scan alone can not take into consideration the dynamic occlusions of the particular patient. Thus, the resulting finished product is a compromise and often can create further bite problems for the patients.
It therefore would be desirable to provide improved methods and systems for creating dental appliances, such as dental implants, dentures, and other fixtures.